Yeltsin, in Britain, Warns Of Peril of Russian Unrest

By CRAIG R. WHITNEY,

Published: January 31, 1992

LONDON, Jan. 30—
At a stopover on his way to the United Nations, President Boris N. Yeltsin of Russia warned today that his country could collapse into "general unrest" and authoritarian rule if its economic reforms failed, and appealed for continued help from Western countries.

He left with broad promises, but not with much that he could take to the bank, just like the Soviet President, Mikhail S. Gorbachev, last July, after his meeting with leaders of the world's seven most powerful industrial democracies.

Mr. Yeltsin arrived at 10 Downing Street this morning on his first international trip since the Christmas collapse of the Soviet Union, with his financial and military advisers in a fleet of polished black Russian Zil limousines. After four hours of talks with the British Prime Minister, John Major, the Russian leader said he "respected" Britain's refusal to include its nuclear forces in any arms reduction talks.

Before leaving Moscow, Mr. Yeltsin had welcomed President Bush's announcement Tuesday night of major cuts in American ground-based and seaborne nuclear warheads, matched them with offers of even bigger cuts in Russia's sea-based systems, and called on Britain, France and China to "follow our example." British Nuclear Force

Mr. Major explained this morning that Britain would go ahead with plans to replace its Polaris submarine force, and much of its air force nuclear capability, with a deterrent force of four Trident submarines that could carry up to 512 warheads by the end of the 1990's. He told Mr. Yeltsin that it was "only a minimum deterrent force, threatening no one."

Before he left this afternoon, Mr. Yeltsin said Russia would no longer aim its missiles at Britain; he made a similar pledge concerning the United States last week. "The number of nuclear weapons at the disposal of the U.K. is not comparable with ours and therefore the matter is not really worth discussing," he said.

Most of their discussions concerned economic affairs, according to the two leaders and their aides. Mr. Major said Britain would press for full Russian membership in the International Monetary Fund by April of this year, and would urge the other industrial democracies to find ways of giving further assistance to the republic, "possibly in the form of a ruble stabilization fund."

In a joint declaration, Russia and Britain pledged to insure that nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction were held under secure control at all times. Mr. Major said that Britain would send a technical mission to Moscow to see what could be done to help the Russians store, dispose of, and safeguard nuclear materials from the weapons they dismantle as they cut back their military forces. Advice for Russian Military

He also said he had offered to send "a small number" of British Defense Ministry officials to the Moscow headquarters of Defense Minister Yevgeny I. Shaposhnikov to help with restructuring of the Russian armed forces and insuring effective democratic control. Mr. Yeltsin gave no indication whether he would welcome them.

Saying that Britain was determined to help democracy in Russia, Mr. Major enumerated the aid programs already underway, bilaterally and within the European Community, amounting to $670 million so far, and pointed to the Group of Seven wealthy industrial nations and the International Monetary Fund as the best sources of further assistance. The only new aid he mentioned today was $504 million Britain was making available for an International Monetary Fund program insuring export credits and investments in Russia and other former Soviet republics

"The only thing that can impede our progress will be general unrest," Mr. Yeltsin said, "and general unrest will happen if our reforms fail. Should the reforms fail, we shall face a new leadership and Russia will fall into the habits which tortured us for 74 years." Before leaving for the United States, he said the amount of aid the West was providing was "by no means" enough. "Deeds we need, not words," he said.

In a joint declaration, the two countries agreed to be "friendly states and partners within the international community," and promised to formalize their relationship in a British-Russian treaty.

Mr. Yeltsin then went off to visit Mr. Major's predecessor, Margaret Thatcher, and reboard his plane for New York.